This application claims the priority of Austrian utility model application GM 729/2001, filed Sep. 21, 2001, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates, in general, to a machine for continuously removing old ties of a railroad track supported on a ballast bed, and more particularly to a machine which includes a machine frame extending in a longitudinal direction along the track; undercarriages supporting the machine frame for mobility in an operating direction; an apparatus, mounted on the machine frame, for picking up old ties from the ballast bed; and a conveyor device, cooperating with said apparatus, for transporting away the old ties in the longitudinal direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,867 discloses a machine of this type, designed for completely renewing a railroad track. While the machine advances continuously, the old ties are lifted from the ballast bed and stored on the machine. Parallel thereto, new ties are laid down on the ballast bed, and lastly new rails are installed on the new ties.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved machine of the afore-described type, with which it is possible to achieve a steady and uniform operating efficiency even if the quality of the old ties varies.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a machine for continuously removing old ties of a railroad track supported on a ballast bed includes a machine frame extending in a longitudinal direction along the track; undercarriages supporting the machine frame for mobility in an operating direction; an apparatus, mounted on the machine frame, for picking up old ties from the ballast bed; a conveyor device, cooperating with said apparatus, for transporting away the old ties in the longitudinal direction; and a tie displacement device positioned ahead ofxe2x80x94with regard to the operating directionxe2x80x94the apparatus for picking up old ties and including a pushing member and drives for adjusting the pushing member vertically and transversely to the longitudinal direction.
A machine designed in this way ensures that the continuity of the track renewal process is not adversely affected in any way by the presence of even a very brittle or crumbling old tie in the track, since this problem-causing old tie can now be moved very quickly transversely to the longitudinal direction onto the ballast bed shoulder with the aid of the pushing member. Thus, any possible obstruction to the functioning of the trailing apparatus for picking up the normal, unbroken ties can be reliably prevented, such disturbances having the potential of being particularly troublesome because, as a rule, they require the forward motion of the machine to be stopped and tie fragments to be withdrawn by hand.